Obtaining instant credit at a pos with limited information

ABSTRACT

A consumer at a POS is able to obtain instant credit from a third party payment provider by providing identification information, such as from a driver&#39;s license, through a sales associate at the POS and by providing directly the last four digits of the consumer&#39;s social security number (SSN). When the consumer wants to make subsequent purchases through the payment provider, the sales associate need only enter the consumer&#39;s last name, zip code, and date of birth for the payment provider to locate and retrieve the consumer&#39;s account. The consumer may then enter the last four digits of the consumer&#39;s social security number, such as into a PIN pad at the POS, and have the information processed by the payment provider.

BACKGROUND

1. Technical Field

The present invention generally relates to transactions at a point ofsale (POS), and in particular, obtaining and/or paying with credit at aPOS.

2. Related Art

Shopping online or electronically is becoming more and more prevalent.This is due in part to the ease of which a consumer can find, pay, andcomplete a transaction without going to a seller's physical location.Such online shopping is predominantly done from a consumer's PC orlaptop, but also from the consumer's mobile device, and as such, paymentproviders have developed payment products that enable the consumer toquickly, easily, and safely make an electronic payment for a purchase.Online payment services, such as PayPal, Inc. of San Jose, Calif. offerservices to allow consumers to make payments through the paymentprovider. If a consumer does not have an account with a paymentprovider, the consumer may easily apply and get credit during thecheckout flow on the merchant site. One such payment provider is Bill MeLater.

However, even with increased online shopping, consumers still shop atphysical stores and locations for numerous reasons, including being ableto see and try on items, interact with sales associates for help, and tojust be around people. Such consumers may also desire to make purchaseswith credit, but may not have an existing or acceptable credit cardaccount to do so.

In such a situation, the consumer may decide to not make a purchase,resulting in a lost sale for the merchant and a lost item for theconsumer.

If the consumer does decide to open a line of credit at the POS, theconsumer typically opens a store-specific account. This may require theconsumer to provide very specific and detailed information and may taketime and effort to complete.

It would be advantageous to have a method in which a consumer can obtaininstant credit with an online payment provider at a POS with limitedinformation.

SUMMARY

According to one embodiment, a consumer at a POS is able to obtaininstant credit from a third party payment provider by providingidentification information, such as from a driver's license, through asales associate at the POS and by providing directly the last fourdigits of the consumer's social security number (SSN). The salesassociate may also enter details of a transaction, such as a paymentamount, so that the consumer can obtain credit and make the payment inthe same transaction. When the consumer wants to make subsequentpurchases through the payment provider, the sales associate need onlyenter specific identifying information about the consumer, again such asavailable from the consumer's driver license for the payment provider tolocate and retrieve the consumer's account. The consumer may then enterthe last four digits of the consumer's social security number, such asinto a PIN pad at the POS, and have the information processed by thepayment provider. As such, the consumer is able to make a payment at aPOS by simply providing the sales associate with an ID and then enteringthe consumer's last four digits of the SSN.

In one embodiment, when applying for credit, the sales associate entersthe consumers first and last name, mailing/resident address, date ofbirth, and phone number. The latter may be requested from or entered bythe consumer if not available on the ID. Optionally, the sales associateor consumer may also enter the consumer's email address.

If, at the POS, the consumer does not wish to make a purchase, butsimply wants to open an account with the payment provider, the salesassociate need only enter a zero dollar amount for the transaction. Thesales associate may also proceed with this process in other ways, suchas by selecting an appropriate option on a merchant device or terminal.

If approved, either with or without payment at the POS, the consumer maybe notified, such as through a merchant PIN pad or a user device, anapproved credit limit along with the approval/payment notification. Thesales associate may be notified of a payment approval as well, so thatthe sales associate can then complete the transaction with the consumer.

After the consumer has opened an account with the payment provider, theconsumer may make a purchase at a POS by entering or having the salesassociate enter consumer date of birth (month, day, year), last name,and zip code of mailing or residence address. Details of the purchase,such as merchant information and amount, may also be transmitted at thistime. The payment provider uses this information to look up a consumeraccount. The results are presented to the sales associate, who selectsor confirms the proper account using the consumer's identification.

The payment provider may then display consumer information, such asname, address, and phone number, along with transaction details, to thesales associate at the POS. At the same time, the payment provider mayalso display, through a merchant device such as a PIN pad, a request forthe consumer to enter the last four digits of the consumer's SSN. Thepayment provider then processes the payment request based on theinformation and notifies the consumer and/or the sales associate of anapproved or denied payment.

As a result, a consumer is able to quickly and easily make a purchase ata POS with instant credit provided with limited information. After theaccount is opened, the consumer can again utilize credit at a POS withlimited information provided, e.g., name, address, phone number, andlast four digits of the SSN.

These and other aspects of the present disclosure will be more readilyapparent from the detailed description of the embodiments set forthbelow taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of obtaining instant creditat a point of sale (POS) with limited information;

FIG. 2 is a flowchart showing one embodiment of making a purchase at aPOS using an account already opened in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a networked system suitable forimplementing the processes described herein according to an embodiment;and

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a computer system suitable for implementingone or more components in FIG. 3 according to one embodiment of thepresent disclosure.

Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are bestunderstood by referring to the detailed description that follows. Itshould be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identifylike elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, whereinshowings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of thepresent disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 is a flowchart 100 showing one embodiment of obtaining instantcredit at a point of sale (POS) with limited information. The credit canbe provided by a payment provider, such as PayPal, Inc. of San Jose,Calif. or Bill Me Later. At step 102, the consumer is at a physical POS,such as at a register of a merchant.

The consumer may be ready to make a purchase of items from the merchantor to apply for credit at the POS, as determined at step 104. The salesassociate at the POS may select an option from a terminal or virtualterminal, where options may include applying for credit without apurchase, applying for and paying with credit, and pay with existingcredit or account. The screen may be displayed when the sales clerkinitiates a transaction with the consumer or after all items have beenscanned or otherwise entered and a total obtained. On instruction fromthe consumer, the sales associate may select the desired option.

If the consumer wants to apply for a credit only at this time, a zerodollar amount is passed to the payment provider at step 106. In anotherembodiment, a zero dollar amount may be entered by the sales associate,which is then communicated to the payment provider. The sales associatemay also proceed with this process in other ways, such as by selectingan appropriate option on a merchant device or terminal. Othertransaction details may also be communicated, such as details of thepurchase, information about the items, merchant information, etc.

If the consumer wants to apply for credit and use the credit to pay forthe purchase, the payment amount may be passed to the payment provider,at step 108, through the merchant terminal. In another embodiment, thesales associate may enter the payment amount, which is then passed tothe payment provider.

Next, at step 110, information about the consumer is communicated to thepayment provider. In this embodiment, the sales associate entersrequested information obtained from a consumer identification, such as adriver's license, through a merchant terminal in communication with thepayment provider. In another embodiment, the consumer may enter theinformation, such as through a merchant terminal accessible by theconsumer. The information, in one embodiment, includes the consumer'sname, mailing address, zip code, phone number (e.g., a cell number, ahome number, a work number), and date of birth. An email address may berequired in one embodiment. The email address and phone number may berequested by the sales associate from the consumer if not available onthe identification. If the consumer enters the information, the salesassociate may be asked to verify the accuracy of the information enteredby inspecting the consumer's identification.

Once the information is entered, it is submitted to another merchantdevice, such as a PIN pad, that the consumer can see. The information isdisplayed on the device, and the consumer is asked, at step 112, toconfirm the accuracy of the information. If the information is notcorrect, the consumer may select a button on the PIN pad to edit theinformation, at step 114. In one embodiment, the sales associate isnotified that the information requires editing and changes one or morefields. For example, the sales associate may ask to see the consumeridentification again and use that to reenter information. Once entered,the information may again be displayed to the consumer for verification.

Once the consumer verifies the entered information, such as selecting asuitable button on the PIN pad, the consumer will be asked to enter thelast four digits of the consumer's social security number (SSN). Theconsumer may be presented with a screen on the PIN pad, requesting thisinformation. The consumer then enters the last four digits of the SSNvia the PIN pad at step 116. Once entered, the consumer selects a buttonto transmit information to the payment provider, where the informationis processed at step 118, to determine whether the payment provider canprovide credit to the consumer or otherwise open a credit account forthe consumer. Methods of processing may differ between different paymentproviders. In one example, processing is described in commonly-ownedU.S. Pat. No. 7,890,393.

A determination is thus made, at step 120, whether to approve the creditor credit plus purchase request. If the credit is denied, the consumerand the sales associate are notified accordingly, at step 122. Forexample, the consumer may be notified, on the PIN pad, of a denial andthat a letter or other communication will be sent to the consumerproviding reasons for the denial. The sales associate may be notified,through the merchant terminal, that the credit has been denied. Thesales associate can then take an appropriate action, such as requestinganother form of payment from the consumer if the consumer was alsorequesting payment for the transaction.

If the credit or credit plus purchase request is approved at step 120,the consumer and the sales associated may be notified at step 124.Consumer notification may be through the PIN terminal at the merchantPOS or through the consumer's mobile device. For example, the consumermay see a screen on the PIN terminal notifying the consumer that theaccount was approved, along with a credit line amount and the amountspent on the current transaction (if a purchase request was alsoincluded). The merchant may be notified, such as through the merchantterminal, that the purchase is complete, along with a transaction ID andamount.

The payment provider may process the payment at step 126, such ascrediting an account of the merchant with the payment amount (minus anyfees), and debiting or incurring a charge on the consumer account justcreated. Note that payment processing may be done prior to the notifystep 124, afterwards, or concurrently.

In one embodiment, the consumer may be presented, during various timesin the process above, with a screen with terms and conditions for apromotional offer or other offer that the consumer can accept ordecline. If declined, the process ends and the processing continues. Ifaccepted, the consumer may be provided the promotional offer during orafter the transaction.

FIG. 2 is a flowchart 200 showing one embodiment of making a purchase ata POS using an account already opened with the payment provider, such asan account described in FIG. 1 above. When the consumer is ready to makea purchase, at step 202, the consumer goes to the POS of a merchant,which can be a checkout register or terminal at a physical store. In oneembodiment, the sales associate may ask the consumer for a type ofpayment. in another embodiment, the consumer may select a type ofpayment from a merchant device, such as a PIN pad. Here, the paymenttype would be payment with an existing account with a payment provider.

Next, specific information is entered and communicated to the paymentprovider, at step 204. The sales associate may ask to see a driver'slicense or other identification from the consumer, which shows therequested information. In one embodiment, the information is the date ofbirth, last name, and zip code of the consumer's address. Theinformation may be entered by the sales associated at the beginning ofthe transaction (when the sales associates is has not yet scanned afirst item), during the transaction, or after all items have beenscanned and totaled, the consumer may enter specific informationrequested on a device. The device, in one embodiment, is a virtualterminal for the merchant at the POS.

Once entered and communicated, the payment provider retrieves resultsbased on the information, at step 206. The payment provider may search adatabase to determine which account(s) are associated with theinformation. If more than one account is found, at step 210, the salesassociate and/or the consumer may be presented with a list of theresults. In one embodiment, only the sales associate is shown the listfor privacy concerns. The list may include the name associated with theaccount and an address. Because the earlier requested information didnot include a full address, but only a zip code, multiple accounts maybe possible with the same last name, date of birth, and zip code.

The sales associate may compare the results with the identification ofthe consumer and make a selection, at step 212, of the correct consumer.Selection may be by tapping or otherwise choosing the name or checking abox next to the correct name. Once the selected account is communicatedto the payment provider, the payment provider may present details of theaccount, at step 214, to the sales associate, such as through thevirtual terminal. For example, the sales associate may see, on screen,store details, such as a transaction ID, store name, store address, andtransaction amount, and consumer account details, such as the consumerfirst name, last name, address, phone number, date of birth, andpossibly email address.

Returning back to step 210, if the payment provider does not find morethan one match (i.e., finds zero or one match), a determination is made,at step 216, whether there was a match. If there was no match, theconsumer may be asked, such as through the sales associate, whether theconsumer wishes to apply for an account or credit with the paymentprovider. If the consumer wishes to apply for credit (either credit onlyor credit plus payment for the current purchase), the credit applicationis processed, at step 220, such as using steps of the process in FIG. 1above. The sales associate may select a link to start the creditapplication process. If the consumer does not wish to apply for credit,the consumer may pay for the transaction by other means, at step 222,such as cash, check, debit card, credit card, gift card, or the like.

If, at step 216, there is a match (indicating a single matched account),the account details may be presented at step 214, as discussed above.The consumer may, at the same time or afterwards, be presented with ascreen requesting entry of the last four digits of the consumer's SSN.This can be shown on the merchant PIN pad. The consumer enters the lastfour digits of the consumer's SSN, at step 224, and selects a button orlink to communicate the information to the payment provider.

Once received, the payment provider processes the transaction request atstep 226. The processing is the same or similar to what is describedabove in FIG. 1. During the processing, the user may be shown one ormore promotional offers, which the user can accept or decline. If theoffer is accepted, the terms of the offer may be applied to thetransaction or account.

After processing, the payment provider may notify the consumer and thesales associate accordingly, depending on whether the transaction wasapproved or denied, as discussed above. As a result, a returningconsumer can quickly and easily use a payment provider account to make apurchase without having a payment provider card. All that is needed isthe user's last name, zip code, and date of birth to retrieve theaccount information.

Note that the above embodiment primary describes a sales associateentering information into a terminal and the consumer enteringinformation into a PIN pad. In various embodiments, information can beentered by the same party, different parties, and/or on differentdevices. For example, the consumer, instead of the sales associate, mayenter identifying information into a user device, such as a smart phone,instead of through a merchant device.

FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a networked system 300 configured toprocess a financial transaction between a payment recipient (e.g.,merchant) and a payment sender (e.g., user or consumer) at a POS, suchas described above, in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.System 300 includes a PIN pad 310, a merchant terminal 340, and apayment provider server 370 in communication over a network 360. Paymentprovider server 370 may be maintained by a payment provider, such asBill Me Later. A consumer or user 305 utilizes PIN pad 310 to view,enter, and communicate information for conducting a payment transactionwith the merchant using payment provider server 370.

PIN pad 310, merchant terminal 340, and payment provider server 370 mayeach include one or more processors, memories, and other appropriatecomponents for executing instructions such as program code and/or datastored on one or more computer readable mediums to implement the variousapplications, data, and steps described herein. For example, suchinstructions may be stored in one or more computer readable media suchas memories or data storage devices internal and/or external to variouscomponents of system 300, and/or accessible over network 360.

Network 360 may be implemented as a single network or a combination ofmultiple networks. For example, in various embodiments, network 360 mayinclude the Internet or one or more intranets, landline networks,wireless networks, and/or other appropriate types of networks.

PIN pad 310 may be implemented using any appropriate hardware andsoftware configured for wired and/or wireless communication over network360. For example, in one embodiment, the PIN pad may be a computingdevice having a display and input/output means to receive and transmitinformation between merchant terminal 340 and payment provider server370.

PIN pad 310 may include one or more display applications 315 which maybe used, for example, to provide a convenient interface to permitconsumer 305 to view information available over network 360. Forexample, in one embodiment, display application 315 may be implementedto view information or data from merchant terminal 340 and/or paymentprovider server 370, such as a PIN entry screen. PIN pad 310 may alsoinclude one or more interface applications 320 which may be used, forexample, to translate user input on PIN pad 310 to appropriate signalsfor processing and communicating. For example, interface application maybe used to translate a user entering digits from a physical or virtualPIN pad for communication to payment provider server 370.

PIN pad 310 may further include other applications 325 as may be desiredin particular embodiments to provide desired features to PIN pad 310.For example, other applications 325 may include security applicationsfor implementing client-side security features, programmatic clientapplications for interfacing with appropriate application programminginterfaces (APIs) over network 360, such as encoding information betweenthe PIN pad key entry and transmission through network 360. PIN pad 310includes one or more identifiers 330 which may be implemented, forexample, as operating system registry entries, identifiers associatedwith hardware of PIN pad 310 or the merchant, or other appropriateidentifiers, such as used for payment/user/device authentication. In oneembodiment, identifier 330 may be used by a payment service provider toassociate a merchant with a particular account maintained by the paymentprovider as further described herein. A communications application 322,with associated interfaces, enables PIN pad 310 to communicate withinsystem 300.

Merchant terminal 340 may be maintained, for example, by a merchant orseller offering various products and/or services in exchange for paymentto be received over network 360 or at the POS. Generally, merchantserver 340 may be maintained by anyone or any entity that receivesmoney, which includes charities as well as retailers and restaurants. Asales associate 342 may operate merchant terminal 340 to process apayment for items to be purchased by consumer 305. Merchant server 340includes a database 345 identifying available products and/or services(e.g., collectively referred to as items) which may be made availablefor purchase by consumer 305. Accordingly, merchant server 340 alsoincludes a marketplace application 350 which may be configured to serveinformation over network 360, such as to view and obtain informationabout available items, including price, quantities, etc.

Merchant server 340 also includes a checkout application 355 which maybe configured to facilitate the purchase by consumer 305 of goods orservices offered by the merchant. Checkout application 355 may beconfigured to accept payment information from or on behalf of consumer305 through payment service provider server 370 over network 360. Forexample, checkout application 355 may receive and process a paymentconfirmation or payment options from payment service provider server370, as well as transmit transaction information to the payment providerand receive information from the payment provider. Checkout application355 may also be configured to accept one or more different fundingsources and/or other payment options for payment, as well as create aninvoice or receipt of the transaction.

Merchant terminal 340 may also include display applications 315,interface applications 320, communication applications 322, andidentification applications 330, which may be the same or similar as theones in PIN pad 310. For example, display applications 315 may allowsales associate 342 to view payment options and request screens frompayment provider server 370, interface applications 320 may allow salesassociate 322 to enter and transmit consumer ID information to paymentprovider server 370, communication applications 322 may allow merchantterminal 340 to communicate with PIN pad 310 and payment provider server370, and identification applications 330 may allow payment providerserver 370 to identify the merchant associated with the paymenttransaction.

Payment provider server 370 may be maintained, for example, by an onlinepayment service provider which may provide payment between consumer 305and the operator of merchant terminal 340 (e.g., the merchant). In thisregard, payment provider server 370 includes one or more paymentapplications 375 which may be configured to interact with PIN pad 310and/or merchant terminal 340 over network 360 to facilitate the purchaseof goods or services by consumer 305 at a merchant POS as discussedabove.

Payment provider server 370 also maintains a plurality of user accounts380, each of which may include account information 385 associated withindividual users or consumers. For example, account information 385 mayinclude private financial information of users of devices such asaccount numbers, passwords, device identifiers, user names, phonenumbers, credit card information, bank information, or other financialinformation which may be used to facilitate online transactions byconsumer 305. Other information may include user addresses, includingzip code, date of birth, and at least the last four digits of the user'ssocial security number. Advantageously, payment application 375 may beconfigured to interact with merchant device 340 and/or PIN pad 310 onbehalf of consumer 305 during a transaction with checkout application355 to track and manage purchases made by users and which fundingsources are used.

A transaction processing application 390, which may be part of paymentapplication 375 or separate, may be configured to receive informationfrom a user device, PIN pad 310, and/or merchant terminal 340 forprocessing and storage in a payment database 395. Transaction processingapplication 390 may include one or more applications to processinformation from consumer 305 and/or sales associate 322 for processinga request for credit and/or payment at a merchant POS as describedherein. As such, transaction processing application 390 may storedetails of an order associated with an account for individual users aswell as track pending payment transactions. Payment application 375 maybe further configured to determine the existence of and to manageaccounts for consumer 305, as well as create new accounts if necessary.

Payment database 395 may store transaction details from completedtransactions, including transaction identifiers. Such information mayalso be stored in a third party database accessible by the paymentprovider and/or the merchant.

FIG. 4 is a block diagram of a computer system 400 suitable forimplementing one or more embodiments of the present disclosure. Invarious implementations, the PIN pad and/or merchant terminal maycomprise a computing device (e.g., a personal computer, laptop, smartphone, tablet, PDA, Bluetooth device, etc.) capable of communicatingwith the network. The merchant and/or payment provider may utilize anetwork computing device (e.g., a network server) capable ofcommunicating with the network. It should be appreciated that each ofthe devices utilized by users, merchants, and payment providers may beimplemented as computer system 400 in a manner as follows.

Computer system 400 includes a bus 402 or other communication mechanismfor communicating information data, signals, and information betweenvarious components of computer system 400. Components include aninput/output (I/O) component 404 that processes a user action, such asselecting keys from a keypad/keyboard, selecting one or more buttons orlinks, etc., and sends a corresponding signal to bus 402. I/O component404 may also include an output component, such as a display 411 and acursor control 413 (such as a keyboard, keypad, mouse, etc.). Anoptional audio input/output component 405 may also be included to allowa user to use voice for inputting information by converting audiosignals. Audio I/O component 405 may allow the user to hear audio. Atransceiver or network interface 406 transmits and receives signalsbetween computer system 400 and other devices, such as a user device, amerchant server, or a payment provider server via network 460. In oneembodiment, the transmission is wireless, although other transmissionmediums and methods may also be suitable. A processor 412, which can bea micro-controller, digital signal processor (DSP), or other processingcomponent, processes these various signals, such as for display oncomputer system 400 or transmission to other devices via a communicationlink 418. Processor 412 may also control transmission of information,such as cookies or IP addresses, to other devices.

Components of computer system 400 also include a system memory component414 (e.g., RAM), a static storage component 416 (e.g., ROM), and/or adisk drive 417. Computer system 400 performs specific operations byprocessor 412 and other components by executing one or more sequences ofinstructions contained in system memory component 414. Logic may beencoded in a computer readable medium, which may refer to any mediumthat participates in providing instructions to processor 412 forexecution. Such a medium may take many forms, including but not limitedto, non-volatile media, volatile media, and transmission media. Invarious implementations, non-volatile media includes optical or magneticdisks, volatile media includes dynamic memory, such as system memorycomponent 414, and transmission media includes coaxial cables, copperwire, and fiber optics, including wires that comprise bus 402. In oneembodiment, the logic is encoded in non-transitory computer readablemedium. In one example, transmission media may take the form of acousticor light waves, such as those generated during radio wave, optical, andinfrared data communications.

Some common forms of computer readable media includes, for example,floppy disk, flexible disk, hard disk, magnetic tape, any other magneticmedium, CD-ROM, any other optical medium, punch cards, paper tape, anyother physical medium with patterns of holes, RAM, PROM, EPROM,FLASH-EPROM, any other memory chip or cartridge, or any other mediumfrom which a computer is adapted to read.

In various embodiments of the present disclosure, execution ofinstruction sequences to practice the present disclosure may beperformed by computer system 400. In various other embodiments of thepresent disclosure, a plurality of computer systems 400 coupled bycommunication link 418 to the network (e.g., such as a LAN, WLAN, PTSN,and/or various other wired or wireless networks, includingtelecommunications, mobile, and cellular phone networks) may performinstruction sequences to practice the present disclosure in coordinationwith one another.

Where applicable, various embodiments provided by the present disclosuremay be implemented using hardware, software, or combinations of hardwareand software. Also, where applicable, the various hardware componentsand/or software components set forth herein may be combined intocomposite components comprising software, hardware, and/or both withoutdeparting from the spirit of the present disclosure. Where applicable,the various hardware components and/or software components set forthherein may be separated into sub-components comprising software,hardware, or both without departing from the scope of the presentdisclosure. In addition, where applicable, it is contemplated thatsoftware components may be implemented as hardware components andvice-versa.

Software, in accordance with the present disclosure, such as programcode and/or data, may be stored on one or more computer readablemediums. It is also contemplated that software identified herein may beimplemented using one or more general purpose or specific purposecomputers and/or computer systems, networked and/or otherwise. Whereapplicable, the ordering of various steps described herein may bechanged, combined into composite steps, and/or separated into sub-stepsto provide features described herein.

The foregoing disclosure is not intended to limit the present disclosureto the precise forms or particular fields of use disclosed. As such, itis contemplated that various alternate embodiments and/or modificationsto the present disclosure, whether explicitly described or impliedherein, are possible in light of the disclosure. Having thus describedembodiments of the present disclosure, persons of ordinary skill in theart will recognize that changes may be made in form and detail withoutdeparting from the scope of the present disclosure. Thus, the presentdisclosure is limited only by the claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system, comprising: a computer storage storingaccount information for a plurality of users and a plurality ofmerchants, wherein the information for at least one of the userscomprises a user name, a user zip code, a user date of birth, and atleast last four digits of a user's social security number; and aprocessor coupled to the computer storage operable to: receive a paymentrequest from a transaction device at a merchant point of sale (POS);receive identification information for a user, wherein theidentification information comprises a last name, a zip code, and a dateof birth of the user; access an account of the user based on thereceived identification information; receive, by a payment provider,last four digits of a social security number (SSN) of the user; andprocess the payment request.
 2. The system of claim 1, wherein theidentification information is received from the transaction device. 3.The system of claim 2, wherein the identification information is enteredinto the transaction device by a sales associate from a user ID.
 4. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the last four digits of the SSN are receivedfrom a merchant personal identification number (PIN) device.
 5. Thesystem of claim 4, wherein the last four digits of the SSN are enteredinto the PIN device by the user.
 6. The system of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is further operable to present a plurality of matching resultsto a sales associate if the received identification information returnsmore than one user account.
 7. The system of claim 6, wherein theprocessor is further operable to receive a selected user from thematching results.
 8. The system of claim 7, wherein the selected user isselected by the sales associate.
 9. The system of claim 1, wherein theprocessor is further operable to open an account for the user if theuser does not have an existing account with the payment provider. 10.The system of claim 9, wherein the account is opened with a user name, auser address, a user zip code, a user phone number, a user date ofbirth, and last four digits of a user SSN.
 11. The system of claim 1,wherein the processor is further operable to notify a sales associateand the user when the payment request is approved or denied.
 12. Amethod, comprising: receiving, electronically by a processor of apayment provider, a payment request from a transaction device at amerchant point of sale (POS); receiving, electronically by theprocessor, identification information for a user, wherein theidentification information comprises a last name, a zip code, and a dateof birth of the user; accessing, electronically by the processor, anaccount of the user based on the received identification information;receiving, electronically by the processor, last four digits of a socialsecurity number (SSN) of the user; and processing the payment request.13. The method of claim 12, wherein the identification information isentered into the transaction device by a sales associate from a user ID.14. The method of claim 12, wherein the last four digits of the SSN arereceived from a merchant personal identification number (PIN) device,wherein the last four digits of the SSN are entered into the PIN deviceby the user.
 15. The method of claim 12, further comprising: presentinga plurality of matching results to a sales associate if the receivedidentification information returns more than one user account; andreceiving a selected user from the matching results, wherein theselected user is selected by the sales associate.
 16. The method ofclaim 12, further comprising opening an account for the user if the userdoes not have an existing account with the payment provider, wherein theaccount is opened with a user name, a user address, a user zip code, auser phone number, a user date of birth, and last four digits of a userSSN.
 17. A non-transitory machine-readable medium comprising a pluralityof machine-readable instructions which when executed by one or moreprocessors of a server are adapted to cause the server to perform amethod comprising: receiving, by a payment provider, a payment requestfrom a transaction device at a merchant point of sale (POS); receivingidentification information for a user, wherein the identificationinformation comprises a last name, a zip code, and a date of birth ofthe user; accessing an account of the user based on the receivedidentification information; receiving last four digits of a socialsecurity number (SSN) of the user; and processing the payment request.18. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein theidentification information is entered into the transaction device by asales associate from a user ID.
 19. The non-transitory machine-readablemedium of claim 17, wherein the last four digits of the SSN are receivedfrom a merchant personal identification number (PIN) device, wherein thelast four digits of the SSN are entered into the PIN device by the user.20. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17, wherein themethod further comprises: presenting a plurality of matching results toa sales associate if the received identification information returnsmore than one user account; and receiving a selected user from thematching results, wherein the selected user is selected by the salesassociate.
 21. The non-transitory machine-readable medium of claim 17,wherein the method further comprises opening an account for the user ifthe user does not have an existing account with the payment provider,wherein the account is opened with a user name, a user address, a userzip code, a user phone number, a user date of birth, and last fourdigits of a user SSN.